By Kumar Chellappan

India on Sunday lost a great son, philanthropist and industrialist par excellence, Shambhukumar Ji Kaslivwal, who breathed his last after a brief illness. Kakaji, as he was addressed by the people, was 95 and was actively involved in business-related activities till the end.

Founder of the famous S Kumar’s brand of suiting, Kakaji made the brand a household name, and people rated S Kumar’s suiting and shirting as a symbol of status and elegance. In the 1960s, 1970s, the jingle S Kumar Ki shirting and suiting reverberated across the country through the stations of All India Radio and Akashwani. Doordarshan too had telecast the advertisement films featuring the brand through its national network.

But Kakaji, the main brain behind the enterprises, remained out of bounds for the media and rarely appeared in public. The company launched by him is managed by his wife, Rajkumari Kasliwal and his children Ambuj, Warij, Shrija, Vikas, Nitin, Mukul and Neerja.

The soft-spoken Nitin Kasliwal was the public face of the company who announced to the nation when the group launched the internationally famous Reid & Taylor brand in India. Shambhukumar Ji maintained a low profile throughout his lifetime and focused more on philanthropic activities, which he did without any media blitzkrieg.

Industrialist Kumarmangalam Birla, son of late Aditya Vikram Birla and grandson of Basant Kumar Birla and Sarla Birla, is Kakaji’s son-in-law.

“It is an honour for me to have known Shambhu ji over the years. I feel we can all learn so much from his inspirational life. People say his life was a struggle. People say my life was a struggle. I say no. Life is a struggle if we don't get the fruits or results of our hard work. Shambhu ji is a role model for all of us to build a stronger India,” said legendary cricketeer Kapil Dev about Kaka Ji.

As a mark of respect to the doyen of India’s polyester industry, a book “Thread by Thread” authored by Sathya Saran has been brought out by the polyester industry in the country. For those who are still unfamiliar with the name, Shambhu Kumar Kasliwal Kakaji is the person who pioneered the introduction of Polyester Blends in India, which boosted the manufacturing and consumption of affordable, long-lasting fabrics for the middle class and the lower-income groups. The rest is history.

The Kasliwal family will hold a prayer meet on Tuesday at 4 PM at the Nehru Centre in Mumbai’s Worli. A media release by the family says it is for celebrating the life of their “dear Kaka. All the industrialists and friends of Kaka Ji could say is that he left the world as an unsung hero.

Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti